Pretty Rare Piece of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Concept Art

I love all the new Disney coasters like Epcot's great Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind,  Disney Hollywood Studios sweet little Slinky Dog Dash, and Disney Animal Kingdom's  much older Expedition: Everest, but I always go back to the castle parks' classic Big Thunder Mountain Railroad as the one I can't resist! The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness has staying power! My favorite one is at Disneyland Paris, with its lets go under the river beginning, but the U.S. parks have pretty great versions as well.

Imagineer Ed French created this piece of concept art back in 1980. He expertly captured the sun washed rock work of the main peak in the background and the ride's train in a whole new way then seen in most other renderings. 

There's something else unique about Ed French. He's very involved in an organization trying to better the world. Check out Ethnos360!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Friday Morning at Disney-MGM Studios

 

Today's vintage photograph is from 1989 and right from Hollywood: the Disney-MGM Studios to be exact. Does this building look familiar to you? It should! It's now the home to Vacation Fun - An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie. But back in the day, it was the location of the The Monster Sound Show, a great and original interactive show where guest got to be "Foley artists" and match pieces of film with the corresponding sounds they'd create. It was much more difficult than it looked- and a whole lot of fun.

Times change, and the dropped its look behind the movie magic to follow Universal Studios "ride the movies" mantra. Not a bad move. Disney's Hollywood Studios does have some blockbuster hits like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, but there were pieces of the original park I wish were still around. 

Anyone else here a fan of the Great Movie Ride? I'd love be able to have seen all these co-exist as they should have. Removing one for the other is shortsighted in a park so needing new and more attractions. Ah, the blessing of space...

 Check out more retro photos and a look at the park's history here.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)